The summer wind blows and people's hearts are a bit fluttered, hair strands stick to their eyes, stinging painfully, ouchingly painful.

  She left, he returned, this is what missing each other means.

  Empty bottles were scattered all over the floor, Tang Man had a good capacity for liquor, but precisely because of that, he was not easily drunk.

  "Jiang Yan, I'm so unwilling, really so unwilling"

  She sobbed, her shoulders heaving up and down.

  Tang Man leaned on her shoulder, propping up her head, with all her strength supported by Jiang Yan's body, clutching Jiang Yan's clothes, every scorching tear of Tang Man's seemed to burn her shoulder like fire.

  Tang Man had a lot of regrets, regret that she never spoke to Ruan Jiangjin about her happiness, regret that she traveled thousands of miles only to miss him.

  She is a person who cannot let go like this, and it will be a lifelong regret that she can only secretly hide in her heart.

  *

  That autumn, after Jiang Yao became pregnant, Old Master Ruan's attitude towards her finally eased up a bit.

  Ruan Zhenhua, who was also abroad at sea, called to ask about her, and the Ruan family began to slowly accept her.

  In the first three months of Jiang Yao's pregnancy, it was very tough. Ruan Jiangjin saw that she had a poor appetite and vomited severely, so he would always find ways to get her to eat something.

  On September 16th, Ruan Jiangjin was thirty years old.

  The old lady said she would give him a big celebration, probably because there was good news at home, and the old man looked more spirited and neat.

  Tang Man's holiday ended on September 15th. This time, she bought a direct flight ticket in advance and didn't have to rush back like before.

  She hadn't seen Ruan Jiangjin for a long time. She didn't even tell him when she left last year, thinking they would meet there.

  He wore a simple ring on his left hand's ring finger.

  At that moment, Tang Man could even think of his wedding day when he and Jiang Yao exchanged rings with each other.

  She thought: Ruan Jiangjin should be very happy this year.

  This year he married a girl he liked and this year he is going to be a father.

  At some point in time, Tang Man had also imagined what he would be like as a father.

  She had to leave before his birthday, otherwise her leave would expire and she would be dismissed from the army.

  She went ahead to see Ruan Jiangjin, who looked less severe than the image in Tang Man's memory, with a few more gentle and affectionate eyes.

  She had originally planned to give a pair of matching rings as birthday gifts, but now she can't bear to part with them.

  When she first prepared this gift, she was worried that Ruan Jiangjin might not accept it. She had never seen him wear anything before.

  It's all just a waste of thought now.

  She temporarily prepared a longevity lock for a little child, without knowing what else to give.

  When her child was born, she should have been unable to return.

  She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

  Then handed him the gift and smiled calmly: "Uncle Ruan, happy birthday."

  She had never called him that before. In the past, she could call Ruan Jianglin "Little Uncle" one by one, but she had never called Ruan Jiangjin an "Uncle".

  She may not be big or small, but she is one of the most polite ones.

  Ruan Jiangjin had sent her to attend many etiquette classes, she knew that when serving tea, the teacup should be lower than the elder's, and when handing something over, the sharp side should face herself.

  But she would be unscrupulous in front of Ruan Jiangjin, but she didn't dare to go too far, afraid that if she went too far, even Ruan Jiangjin wouldn't want her.

  He accepted it and asked with a glance at her pale face: "Didn't you have a good time there?"

  She's got a stubborn streak, Ruan Jiangjin knew that much. She liked going head-to-head with tough people.

  This kind of temper will lead to a lot of tears in the army.

  Tang Man thought for a moment, just about to respond when Jiang Yao came out.

  She saw Jiang Yao for the first time.

  The woman walked slowly down the stairs, about three months pregnant but not showing yet. However, a gentle maternal warmth could still be felt from her. She had an air of composure and confidence about her.

  Ruan Jiangjin walked over in big strides and helped her down.

  The couple planned to return home after Ruan Jiangjin's birthday, as the Ruan residence had stairs and Ruan Jiangjin was afraid of her bumping into things.

  They stood there, as if they were born a pair.

  Ruan Jiangjin just saw her, even his gaze was so meticulous, lingering and reluctant to leave.

  That was an expression Tang Man had never seen before.

  "Is this the Tang Man you and I were talking about?" Jiang Yao spoke first, her tone gentle and soft.

  "Auntie is good." She pressed her nose, making her voice as steady as possible.

  The emotional ups and downs are too fast, and the thick nasal sound is hard to ignore.

  She forced a smile: "Sorry, I've had a cold lately."

  Jiang Yao hastily handed her a handkerchief, and only then did she notice that her nose was red.

  Ruan Jiangjin helped Jiang Yao sit down, then turned around and said: "Remember to take your medicine, you're such a big person now, you need to learn how to take care of yourself."

  Tang Man agreed readily.

  Jiang Yao said let Ruan Jiangjin send her, she refused and said let little uncle send.

  She was afraid that Ruan Jiangjin would send her off, and she didn't want to leave anymore.

  Ruan Jianglin did not refuse and agreed.

  Jiang Yan accompanied her, sitting in the back seat, forcing a joke: "Young uncle, now you really have to be a young uncle."

  Ruan Jiang hooked up the corner of his lips and said, "You're going to be a sister too."

  Ruan Jiangjin's child, of the same generation as her.

  Jiang Yan didn't say a word all the way, she didn't want to add another knife to Tang Man's already bloody wound.

  Before getting off the car, she still didn't forget to say a sentence, her words were like the weak autumn wind, but her face was strong and trying to look bright and cheerful, with a raised lip, "Young uncle, be good to our family's Jiang Yan."

  Ruan Jianglin's hand, which was originally on the steering wheel, suddenly reached out and grasped Jiang Yan, raising an eyebrow as if to prove something to Tang Man.

  Jiang Yan's heart was like a dam that had been burst by a flood, and she felt a sudden tightness in her chest as she gazed out the window at Tang Man.

  They said goodbye, but didn't think it was the last time they saw each other.

  The vehicle slowly drove away, and Tang Man's face gradually disappeared from the window to the rearview mirror.

  Ruan Jiang looked at her with a distracted mind and a solemn expression, reaching out his hand to hold hers.

  Her hand was very cold, as if she had grasped an ice cube.

  Ruan Jianglin said, "We will still meet again."

  She was lost in thought for a long time.

  This journey of thousands of miles was just an empty joy for Tang Man.

  Her passionate and secret love was buried in that autumn, buried in the 30th year of Ruan Jiangjin's life, buried in their tenth year together.

  *

  She was absent without leave and was severely punished by her unit, and her superiors wanted to discipline her.

  The class monitor had her squat for an hour, and she finally returned to the dormitory on all fours.

  After that, she slowly and leisurely wrote a 3,000-word inspection report, roughly unable to put pen to paper, not knowing how to write it, and dragged on for a very long time before submitting it.

  Tang Man was originally supposed to be discharged in March next year, but she extended her service and will have to wait until September next year.

  Next September, he will be a father.

  Ruan Jiangjin was her first love, she thought, and she needed time to put it down, until the snow on Mount Tian melted, she would be able to forget him.

  (End of chapter)